Chandigarh, May 30 -- The resounding victory in a majority of the 102 civic bodies in Punjab on Friday has come as a major shot in the arm for the AAP, reinforcing its political dominance in the state ahead of next year's assembly elections.

The AAP, which has continued its winning run in the state since the historic triumph in the 2022 assembly polls, bagged nearly 50% of the 1,977 wards. The Congress, SAD and the BJP lagged far behind in most areas. Of the eight municipal corporations, the AAP emerged victorious in five - Bathinda, Mohali, Moga, Batala and Barnala.

It also swept Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring's stronghold of Gidderbaha, winning 17 of the 19 wards. The scale of the victory, seen as a strong endorsem...